Refugees and Asylum Seekers
About Refugees
A refugee, defined by the United Nations Convention, is any person who has a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their:
- Race
- Religion
- Nationality
- Membership of a particular social group
- Political opinion
According to the UNHCR we are now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. An unprecedented 65.3 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 21.3 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18.
There are also 10 million stateless people.
About Asylum Seekers
Asylum seekers are people who have applied for protection and are awaiting determination of their status.
For more information about asylum seekers click here
More Information
Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Human Rights Snapshot Report (2nd ed.)
Published by the Human Rights Commission. Read the full report here.